Foldable table leg



Dec. 30, 1941. M, N s 2,268,042

FOLDABLE TABLE LEG Filed May 9, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l M. LANGIUS Dec. 30, 1941-.

FOLDABLE TABLE LEG Filed May 9, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 30, 1941 UNITED FOLDABLE TABLE LEG Manuel Langius, Sparta, Mich., assignor to Michigan Artcraft Company, Sparta, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application May 9, 1940, Serial No. 334,203

2 Claims.

fhis invention relates to and is particularly concerned with a center supporting leg structure for extension tables which is readily folded upwardly and out of the way when the table is retracted to occupy minimum space, but may be turned downwardly to a vertical position and automatically locked in such position when the table is extended, so as to firmly support the central portion of the extended table which otherwise might be liable to sag downwardly at the middle.

Broadly a foldable center supporting leg or leg structure had been used before but the construction used is expensive and subject to defects in use such as binding or sticking upon any swelling or enlargement of the parts. With the present invention a very strong and rugged construction and one which is much less expensive to make is provided and furthermore it is sure in operation at all times without the defects of former ly tried structures.

The invention may be understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section through the upper part of the table showing the central supporting leg in folded position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the leg structure which is an assembled unit in itself and may be connected with the slides or otherwise, of an extension table underneath the top.

Fig. 3 is an under plan View thereof, the leg having been moved to its supporting position and shown in horizontal section.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the leg structure with the leg in operative position.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the leg structure with the leg folded upwardly.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail of structure showing the releasable spring catch for holding the leg, when folded, against accidental displacement, and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a different embodiment, of the invention. l

Like reference numbers refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

The supporting leg structure or assembly is adapted to be connected with the table underneath the top I which may be divided centrally in two sections connected with extension slides for separating the top sections from each other, the slides being located underneath the top. The extensible slides, each in general comprise a plurality of slide members and to the middle members 2 the two extensible slides used, the

ends of the leg structure are permanently secured.

The central leg structure includes an elongated rectangular board 3 which in its use with a table is secured by means of screws or other suitable fastenings at its ends at the under side of the central slide members 2 of the extension slides, being spaced therefrom by an intervening spacer 3a through which the attaching means passes. The board is sawed from one end thereof in the direction of its length and parallel to its side edges to make two parallel. saw cuts 4 between which is left a bar member 5 rectangular in cross section as shown. The saw cut slots at 4 extend slightly beyond the middle point in the length of the board 3. In practice in this embodiment of the invention the end of the board 3 at which the cuts are made is mortised across between its upper and lower sides and a reinforcing member 6 inserted in the mortised slots and glued in place, this however, not being any essential of the invention, but used for purposes of strengthening and reinforcement.

At the upper side of the board 3 and of the intermediate bar 5 thereof a recess 1 is routed out, in which a spring catch member 8 is secured permanently at one end, curving in an upwardly direction so as to extend above the upper side of the board and terminating in a downwardly turned terminal stop as best shown in Fig. 1.

The leg 9 is mounted upon and associated with the board 3 by utilization of an inverted stirrup of sheet metal having a flat horizontal upper side H) from the opposed edges of which are downwardly turned ears II. This metal stirrup member is placed over the bar 5 and the ears ll, passed downwardly through the saw cut slots at with the fiat upper side In lying against the upper side of the bar 5. An end of the leg- 9 lies between the spaced apart ears I I being pivotally connected by a pivot pin I2 passing through said ears and leg 9 as shown in Fig. 1. The thickness of the metal from which the stirrup is made is slightly less than the thickness of the spacer 3a whereby the flat upper side Ill may pass below the lower sides of the extension slide at one side of the table as in Fig. 1.

A bar it at one end is pivotally connected at M to a side of the leg 9 between the ends of the leg. The other end of the bar has a pivotal connection to a bracket l5 permanently secured to the under side of the board 3.

With this construction the leg may be turned to folding position as in Fig. 1, lying parallel to and underneath and against the under side of the board 3. A spring catch is used to releasably hold the leg in such folded position. On the under side of the board 3 a somewhat arrow shaped bolt I6 is permanently. secured and extends in a downwardly direction. The leg 9 is recessed at the proper place and in the recess a spring keeper I1 is secured having a keeper portion of curved form open at one side so that the two sides are separated from each other and spring apart when the bolt I6 is forced thereinto; and also springing apart to release the bolt I6 upon sufficient force being applied to the leg 9 to move it away from the board 3.

When the table is extended and it is desired to move the leg 9 to its vertical operative position the free end of the leg is pushed in a downward direction releasing the catch and then the leg is continued in its movement until it reaches the vertical position shown in'Fig. 4. By reason of the link bar I3 such movement of the leg to vertical position moves the stirrup member along the rectangular bar with the ears I I traversing the saw cut slots 4. The upper part In rides over the spring latching member 8 depressing it into the recess 1 until it has moved past such member 8 whereupon it returns to upper position and interposes its terminal shoulder as a stop against the adjacent edge of the flat stirrup top portion III as shown in Fig. 4. In this position the ends of the slots 4 have been reached so that the stirrup'member to which the leg 9 is connected is securely held against movement in either direction. When the table is to be retracted, upon removing the filler leaves which have been used to fill the space between the two separated top permanent sections of the extensible table top, the spring catch member 8 is accessible from above and may be pushed downwardly to release said stirrup member which may then be moved tothe left (Figs. 1 and 4) with a simultaneous upward folding movement of the leg 9 until it reaches a horizontal position shown in Fig. l and is releasably latched and held in folded position.

The structure in Fig. 7 comprises two spaced bars 50, rectangular in cross section, which are connected by a cross member I8. On each of said bars a leg 90 is mounted, the sides III! of the stirrup member or their equivalents embracing the sides of the bars 50, and pivot pins I20 are used for pivotally connecting the legs with the parts III] The legs are connected by cross bars I9. Link bars I39 are pivoted at their ends respectively one to each leg 90 and associated bar 50. l

With this construction the two legs connected together by the bars l9 may be swung simultaneously to either vertical or horizontal position, the stirrup members to which the legs are pivoted sliding along the bars 5. In this structure a spring catch member 8 is shown mounted in a recess in one side of a bar 50 and serves the same purpose with respect to releasably locking and holding the legs in vertical position as in the previous described structure. The spring catch comprising the bolt I6 and the keeper I1 is mounted one upon the cross member I8 and the other upon a cross member I9, the two catch members coming together when the legs are folded upwardly against the under side of the bar 50.

This structure is substantially the same as that previously described, being substantially duplicated. The guide bars 50 and the guide bar section 5 of the board 3 serve the same purpose. The structure shown in Fig. '7 may be mounted underneath a table by connecting the ends of the bars 50 to the middle slide members 2 of the extension slides, or said bars 50 may be located.

lengthwise of the table instead of transverse thereof and secured to the under box structure of the table top, whereby when the legs are turned to their operative vertical position, as in Fig. '7, they will lie in a plane transverse to the length of the table. Whichever way they are connected to the table thestructure is folded to inoperative position or unfolded to operative position in substantially the same manner that leg 9 is folded or unfolded as described in the previous description.

The construction described is particularly strong and durable, is particularly simple and for that reason among others can be produced at a minimum of cost. It has been thoroughly tested and tried and is of greater strength and durability than previous structures attempting to attain the same results.

The invention is defined in the claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a construction of the class described, an elongated board rectangular in cross section adapted to be located in a horizontal position, said board being provided with two spaced apart parallel narrow slots spaced from each other and parallel to and spaced from adjacent side edges of the board, said slots extending from one end of the board for a distance greater than one-half of the length but less than the entire length thereof, an inverted U-shaped stirrup having spaced vertical ears passing downwardly through said slots, a leg pivotally mounted at one end between said ears below the board and a link pivotally connected at one end to and between the ends of the leg and at its other end to and at the under side of the board beyond the ends of said slots.

2. The herein described construction comprising, a board adapted to be located in a horizontal plane, said board having two spaced apart slots therein from substantially adjacent one end of the board and lengthwise thereof for a portion of the length of the board, said slots being parallel to each other, thereby providing a bar between said slots, an inverted U-shaped stirrup of fiat metal having two spaced apart downwardly extending ears passing through said slots, a leg pivotally mounted at one end between the lower end portions of said ears below said bar, a link pivotally connected at one end to said leg between the ends thereof and pivotally connected at its other end to the under side of the board, said board at its upper side and a short distance from the inner ends of said slots having a recess therein, and a spring actuated catch member mounted in said recess normally extending thereabove over which the upper portion of said stirrup member may pass to depress said spring actuated catch member until it has passed, whereupon the catch member returns to upper position and is located in the path of the return movement of the part of the stirrup member passing thereover.

MANUEL LANGIUS. 

